What waits in the Shadows
by AcousticSlide
Summary: Equestria has always felt uncomfortable about the shadows. They always felt watched and studied. The shadows do have eyes, and they watch very closley, waiting for the time to strike.
1. Prologue

It was well known in the land of Equestria that shadows couldn't be trusted. Maybe it was the eerie randomness of shadows or the unwelcoming darkness that they portrayed. The ponies didn't know, and they particularity didn't care, as long as the shadows stayed in their place.

Some, often the naïve ones, wondered if shadows were patches of night, forgetting that it was Celestia's day, and not Luna's night. Others argued that shadows were a normal part of nature, and that they were to be enjoyed. Shadows often kept them cool in the harsh days, and that they were simply a normal, everyday thing.

Some thought they were harmful and plotting as demons and hidden evils. Some thought nothing of it and would ignore the almost cult like claims of the other ponies.

Some worshiped them.

But all of them were insecure around them. All of them were uneasy around the shadows that almost slinked and scurried around them when they weren't looking. All of them put their strange and foalish fears aside and went on with their day, ignoring the fact that there might be eyes in the shadows.

Little did they know that the insecurity was actually the feeling of being watched.

This is the story of the shadows.


	2. 1 - Who is she?

Cherry shivered. It was cold out, and she had forgotten her favorite pink winter coat inside. Glancing around the barren and empty lot, she crouched, attempting to keep herself out of the nipping wind.

Street lamps flickered. Cherry couldn't help but feel slightly stupid for leaving her coat inside. Now she was freezing, and the doors were locked behind her. She sighed, little puffs of smoke flitted around her mouth and nose.

Might as well go home, she decided. She set off at a brisk trot, reaching back to get her keys-

"Oh, no!" she squeaked, stopping abruptly in her tracks. Her keys were in her jacket pocket, which of course was inside... she growled, looking back at the building. If only she hadn't left in a hurry, she inwardly kicked herself.

Cherry decided that she might as well take the chance that the door was open, so she spun on her back hooves and moved as quickly as she could to the entrance. She rattled the doors, but they didn't budge, as per expected. She leaned on the doors, looking through the glass and watching the happy and warm ponies inside, chatting and not caring about the weather outside. She grimaced.

Spinning around to go to her sister's house, she left the warm and revolting sight behind her. She hated being left out.

After about ten minutes of slow trotting, she lost the feeling in her ears and muzzle. The Manehattan streets were eerily empty and quiet, and occasional taxi galloping by. Snow had started to fall, causing the lamppost's light to become fuzzy and bleak. Weak golden light shone on Cherry's light pink coat.

Something moved in the shadows. She froze. She had heard tales of what sleeps in the shadows, and it had always terrified her as a foal.

She began to trot faster. She didn't like to be alone, and she definatley didn't like to be alone in the dark. It's okay, Cherry, she thought to herself. You're just being silly, you are! There's nothing in the dark other than dust motes and trash, she told herself.

She still trotted faster, despite her telling herself this. Something still moved in the shadows. Cherry broke into a mad dash for the next block over, where her sister's house was.

The creature in the shadows continued to follow her, whispering and snarling. Cherry panted, her breath running thin in the cold weather. The creature in the shadows pounced, grabbing her haunches and pulling her down to the ground, Cherry kicking and screaming.

No one could identify her without her favorite pink winter jacket.

–-

"What do we got here?" Chief said, coming up behind Snapshot.

Snapshot took another picture, his lenses flashing. "Homicide, chief. We ain't got no leads yet. Killer's hid himself pretty good if you ask me," he drawled, snapping another picture.

Chief frowned. "No leads?" he puffed his cigar. "Hell, what is this, a joke? No name? No ident?"

Snapshot began to sweat. "We got a name, Chief!"

"Spit it out already then!" Chief snarled, his patience running thin.

Snapshot nodded and handed him the file. Chief opened it and gazed at the mass of papers and pictures of the crime scene stapled and pinned together. He frowned, analyzing this. "Name?"

"Cherry Wink. Apparently she left a party late and left her keys behind. Interpol says that she was on her way to her sister, Blueberry's house. It was hard to identify her at first," he said.

"How come?"

"See, she was wearin' this pink jacket in _every _one of her license pictures. She wasn't wearin' it for some reason," Snapshot said.

Chief laughed to himself. "And tonight of all nights she had to forget it, yeah? Well, lets clean it-" he cut off abruptly, his eye catching something on the ground near where the body was. A small puddle of what looked like ink reflected off of the street lamps pale glow. "Hey, Snapshot, what's that?" he said, gesturing towards the object. Snapshot glanced over his shoulder at the pool.

He bent down to look at it. "How the hell should I know? I ain't a forensic detective," Snapshot said, standing up and putting his camera back into his case. Chief frowned, bending down and pulling out a plastic bag marked with large black letters: "Evidence" it said.

He scooped the evidence into the bag. "I'll get it to forensics, then," he stood up and zipped the bag. He said it to no one in particular; Snapshot had left. Chief tunred around, setting the evidence in his bag, closing it with a satisftying _zip_. He trotted over to the cab that was waiting idly for him.

He passed the body of Cherry Wink without looking back.


End file.
